Some parents in Santa Cruz feel that as long as they are educated about vaccines, they should be able to decide whether their children are vaccinated or not.

Some parents in Santa Cruz feel that as long as they are educated about vaccines, they should be able to decide whether their children are vaccinated or not.

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Updated: 7:21 PM PST Feb 4, 2015

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WEBVTT NOW COP -- NOW, COVERAGE YOUCAN COUNT ON.GOOD EVENING I'M DAN GREEN.ERIN CLARK IS OFF THIS WEEK.WE ARE BEGINNING TONIGHT WITHNEW LEGISLATION AIMED ATCHANGING CALIFORNIA'SVACCINATION LAWS.SENATOR BEN ALLEN OF LOS ANGELESAND SENATOR RICHARD PAN, OFSACRAMENTO, WHO IS ALSO APEDIATRICIAN, INTRODUCED THEBILL TODAY.THEY WANT TO GET RID OF THEPERSONAL BELIEF EXEMPTION, WHICHWOULD APPLY TO PARENTS OFSCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WHO WANT TOOPT OUT OF VACCINATING THEIRCHILDREN.IN ADDITION, THE LEGISLATIONWOULD REQUIRE PARENTS TO BENOTIFIED OF VACCINATION RATES ATTHEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS.WE HAVE RATES IN CERTAINDISTRICTS THAT ARE UPWARDS OF15% OF NON-VACCINATION.THIS EXCEEDS LEVELS NECESSARY TOPROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, LEAVINGMANY CHILDREN EXPOSED TODANGEROUS COMMUNICABLE DISEASESSUCH AS MEASLES, WHOOPING COUGH,AND POLIO.OF LEGISLATION IS PASSED,CALIFORNIA WILL JOIN 27 OTHERSTATES THAT DO NOT ALLOW PARENTSTO OPT OUT OF VACCINATIONREQUIREMENTS.CALIFORNIA GRANTED 13,000EXEMPTIONS LAST YEAR, SOME ONTHE CENTRAL COAST.WHY ARE PARENTS OPTING OUT?PHIL GOMEZ IS LIVE IN SANTACRUZ.THIS LATEST LEGISLATION FUELSTHE DEBATE OVER WHETHER STATELAW SHOULD REQUIRE ALL PARENTSTO IMMUNIZE THEIR CHILDREN, ORWHETHER PARENTS SHOULD HAVE ACHOICE NOT TO VACCINATE THEM.CINDY FUHRMANN IS A PARENT.SHE HAS TWO CHILDREN WHO ARE 13AND 17.THEY'VE NEVER RECEIVEDVACCINATIONS AGAINST MEASLES.SHE SAYS IT IS A DECISION THATSHOULD BE LEFT UP TO PARENTS.I DEFINITELY FEEL WE SHOULDALWAYS HAVE THE CHOICE ABOUT OURCHILDREN, FOR SURE.AND WHY'S THAT?BECAUSE IT'S OUR CHILDREN.IT'S THEIR BODIES. EVERYBODYSHOULD HAVE THE CHOICE FOR THEIRBODIES.I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SHOULDTELL US WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOINGWITH OUR BODIES.CALIFORNIA AS ONE OF 19STATES THAT ALLOW EXEMPTIONSBASED ON PERSONAL BELIEFS.AS LONG AS THE PARENTS AREEDUCATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THEFENCE, AND MADE AN EDUCATEDCHOICE THAT'S THEIR DECISION.HEALTH OFFICIALS BELIEVE THISLATEST BILL GIVES HEALTHPROFESSIONALS ANOTHEROPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT THESAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, AND,MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CHILDREN.WE KNOW PEOPLE NEED TO THINKCRITICALLY ABOUT THE VACCINESBUT QUITE HONESTLY, THERE'S NO, DOWNSIDE TO GETTINGVACCINATED. IT'S JUST A MATTEROF EDUCATING PARENTS, HOPING TOHAVE THEM THINK ABOUT WHATTHEY'VE SEEN, AND WHAT THEY'VEEXPERIENCED PERSONALLY.AT THE NEW LEGISLATIONPASSES, IT WOULD MEAN A PARENTCOULD ONLY GET EXEMPTIONS FORMEDICAL REASONS.THAT IS SOMETHING TO OTHERSTATES DO.HONOR BROWN WOULD STILL HAVE TOSIGN A LAW, BUT HIS SPOKESMANSAYS THE GOVERNOR BELIEVESVACCINATIONS ARE A MAJOR PUBLICHEALTH BENEFIT.I JUST FEEL PEOPLE NEED TO BEABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES,ESPECIALLY WITH THE BODIES OFTHEIR CHILDREN.WE KNOW VACCINES WORK. WEKNOW VACCINES ARE SAFER THENACTUALLY NOT BEING VACCINATED.WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RISKS ANDBENEFITS OF NOT BEINGVACCINATED VERSUS BEINGVACCINATED, THE RISKS AREGREATER.THE ADDITONAL PRESSURE COMESAMIDST AN ANTI-VACCINATIONMOVEMENT BY PARENTS WHO BELIEVEMEASLES VACCINATIONS CAUSECERTAIN DISORDERS, LIKE AUTISM.HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY ITS NOTTRUE. THE INFORMATION COMES FROMA STUDY THAT WAS DISPROVEN.THANKS, PHIL.92% OF CALIFORNIA'SKINDERGARTENERS ARE VACCINATED.THERE IS WORD THAT THE OUTBREAKOF MEASLES CONTINUES TO SPREAD.102 PEOPLE FROM 14 STATES AREREPORTED TO HAVE MEASLES.MOST OF THESE CASES ARE PART OFA LARGE, ONGOING MULTI-STATEOUTBREAK LINKED TO DISNEYLAND.DISNEYLAND, BY THE WAY,

Measles vaccine opponents speak out

Some parents in Santa Cruz feel that as long as they are educated about vaccines, they should be able to decide whether their children are vaccinated or not.